Wi-Fi in the Parks

[tstidm1]

I'm on a limited Data Plan with ATT (3 GB) a month and was wondering something about Wi-Fi in the Parks. I enjoy using Touring Plans Lines and MDE apps to book last minute ADR's. Can the Wi-Fi handle that? Am I better off using Data? Would like to have a week off from Data caps when I'm vacation.

 

[CAS239]

Wifi can be spotty from time to time, but overall you should be fine.

 

[DarkPaw]

Since I'm from Canada, I have 0 data when in Disney (Would cost me a fortune), and always manage. Sometimes have to move to get wifi, and it's not fast, but I always managed, using lines and MDE.

 

[rwdavis2]

Just put the phone into airplane mode or turn off the data when you don't need it. I usually go airplane mode once I'm in an attraction.

 

[mshanson3121]

You'll have no problem. Like someone else said, it's not fast, and sometimes you need to move a bit, but really it worked quite well while we were there.

 

[lovethattink]

I think wifi is getting better in the parks. It use to be very spotty. But I'm finding more places where it didn't work last year and seems to be working better now.

 

[k5jm]

I find that MDE app is useless on Wifi in the parks. I have found that going to the MDE webpage (mobile version) in the parks works better on the WDW Wifi. Otherwise, I am on my Data plan or on my MyFi.

 

[Skywise]

The Wifi in the parks is... "funky" (that's a techincal term). It is spotty in some areas (Inside ride queues at certain points, certain corners of the park, etc; the weirdest one I had was being able to pick it up on the bus at times between parks - My first thought was the bus had wifi on it and what a cool idea that was and then I lost the signal completely...)

The more frustrating aspect is that the wifi will seem to go non-responsive at times (possibly overloading from the crowds? Bad router?). At one point I ended up turning wifi off and checking MDE with cellular data then turning wifi back on.

That said, I have similar problems with cellular data too at DW at times. Wifi was much better on my last trip than one from just a few months previous though.

Basically... it works most of the time, except when you REALLY need it.

 

[loves to dive]

I keep my wi-fi turned on but my phone will automatically switch to my data plan if it can't get wi-fi so I have the best of both worlds. Most of the time the wi-fi works for me.

 

[neile45]

We were there last week, and I didn't even realize there was wifi in the parks.

 

[scrapquitler]

We've had good luck with the wifi in the parks. There are some ride lines where it doesn't work very well, but for me, that was no big deal. Overall, we were very pleased with the performance of the wifi both in the parks and in the resort.

 

[kj2mom]

I have a 2GB allowance each month. I was nervous before our week long trip so I saved it all up (my plan turns over on the 20th but our trip was the 4th-10th). When we returned I don't even think I used 1GB and that includes the travel maps/GPS info (and my daughter using social media outside of the parks) because we were off site. I found WiFi to be very good and I had plenty of data to spare when we returned.

We changed FP on the fly, we used WDW Lines and MDE (yes, sometimes through a browser) all without any problem and no major data usage.

 

[bc7ate9]

I think wifi is getting better in the parks. It use to be very spotty. But I'm finding more places where it didn't work last year and seems to be working better now.

I agree with this. We used to just turn WiFi off in the parks because it was so unreliable, but on our past 2 trips (September and December '15), WiFi worked great.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

It's funny, I'm reading that the WiFi has gotten better over the years, but for me it's gotten worse. When I went 2 years ago, it was great! I never had an issue. This past summer, I used my data more than the WiFi at the parks (at the resorts the WiFi is great IMO). Maybe I'm less patient now than I was then - it can be very slow and maybe I was just too excited to wait

 

[calablovedisney]

I am on a very limited plan, only 500 mb/month and I managed on a 10 day trip(part of that in Universal, but using the app there as well). I switched to data when I needed to and then turned it off right away. It was a bit of a pain going back and forth and I do remember that the wifi did not always work, but then I would switch to data, get the info I needed and turn it off. I did not use the 500mb so you should be completely fine. I did use the app most of the time.

 

[d-train]

The park wifi is pretty good, at least for my two trips last year, one on spring break, on the first part of July.
Since there were so many people on at the same time, the wifi would bog down now and again though.
Just wait a couple minutes. Try again..

Also, when you go into a closed attraction, the wifi and cell signals would degrade, sometimes to nothing.
Similarly to going into any building anywhere else in the world.
At least that would not have repeaters inside the structure...
I'd say, just like previous posters, put your phone in airplane mode for those moments.
Your phone eats up so much battery just trying to find a signal...

Many of the restaurants had wifi inside, this is mostly attractions...
Steel, comes buildings...

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

That said, I have similar problems with cellular data too at DW at times. Wifi was much better on my last trip than one from just a few months previous though.

Basically... it works most of the time, except when you REALLY need it.

Yes. This. I think both wifi and many cellular networks get bogged down by the sheer number of people in the parks. Have a print out of TPs and a backup plan for MDE info (know the FP kiosk locations, etc).

 

[TippeeCanoe]

We had to use data in the parks, as wifi was either glacially slow and would time out or we couldn't get a signal at all.

 

[OKW Lover]

My phone has unlimited data but I always leave the wifi set to On for my phone. That way I don't have to remember to reset it at home. In the parks I sometimes find that I need to turn the wifi off and rely on data. Apparently the wifi at WDW gets "stuck" (a technical term) or maybe just overwhelmed (another technical term) leaving my phone unresponsive. In those situations I turn the wifi off until I complete whatever I was doing.